How often do you tell your mother that you love her? More importantly, how often do you show your mother that you love her?
We begin a new year today by celebrating the Solemnity of Mary. It is fitting that we should ask for God's blessing upon the new year by honoring the Mother of God. God's plan for salvation through his Son Jesus Christ and his incarnation begins with Mary. It begins with her "Yes". Thus it is right that we that we should remember the Mother of God and of all of us as we begin the year.
Of all the readings from today's Mass, the reading from The Epistle of St. Paul to the Galatians is one of my personal favorites.
Brothers and sisters:
When the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son,
born of a woman, born under the law,
to ransom those under the law,
so that we might receive adoption as sons.
As proof that you are sons,
God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts,
crying out, “Abba, Father!”
So you are no longer a slave but a son,
and if a son then also an heir, through God.
We are all sons and daughters of God. Through the saving act of Jesus Christ we can come to the Father and be in his presence. I also like to use this verse to show how we are all sons and daughters of Mary. Christ is both Son of God and Son of Mary. We become sons and daughters by adoption through our willing participation in the sacrifice of Christ. But as we become sons and daughters of God do we not also become sons and daughters of Mary? Did Christ not cry out to Mary as his Mother? As the Mother of Christ our brother and of the Church, she is the Mother of each and every one of us.
So I ask once again, How often do you show your mother that you love her? The answer is not enough. We can never love our Mother Mary enough for the very life she gave us when she said "Yes." How do we love Mary. Simple, consecrate your lives to her, live as her son lived and love your biological Mother. All Mothers are a reflection of Mary in the fact that they are Mothers and said "Yes" when they gave life to us at our birth.
I wish you all a happy new year and a very merry remainder to the Christmas season.
